Letter on hydrogen: Storage matters
Europe must accelerate the development of large-scale hydrogen storage to ensure reliable supplies as demand for the energy vector grows
Europe has a network of natural gas storage facilities that enables it to manage the seasonality of demand and to provide a cushion against supply shocks such as the recent Russian import disruption. It must develop a similar network for hydrogen, and quickly. This is because imports are expected to account for at least half of the continent’s hydrogen supply. The potential level of hydrogen demand seasonality remains unclear as its role in heating is still under discussion, but it could be significant. And fluctuations in domestic green hydrogen supply, as producers trade the arbitrage between hydrogen and renewable power prices, will certainly need to be managed with flexible storage. Germ

Also in this section
12 May 2025
The sector needs a standard covering hydrogen quality for the entire value chain, but no single hydrogen quality covers the needs of all stakeholders
9 May 2025
Hydrogen quality is an increasingly important area for the sector. Though well-established standards are in place, they typically cover only certain parts of assets and value chain
6 May 2025
European Commission backs hydrogen as best option to decarbonise steel sector, but questions remain over technology choices and funding
2 May 2025
Projects will progress only if they are backed by firm offtake deals, with much of firm’s clean hydrogen portfolio underperforming, Eduardo F. Menezes tells investors